[3] 19 September 1981: Alan Brazil scores twice as Ipswich Town beat Notts County for 4–1 at Meadow Lane, while Liverpool and Aston Villa draw 0–0.

[5] In the UEFA Cup, Liverpool beat Finnish league champions Oulun Palloseura 7–0 at Anfield to complete an 8–0 aggregate first leg triumph, with 19-year-old striker Ian Rush scoring his first senior goal for the club.

[6] 1 October 1981: Manchester United pay a national record fee of £1.5 million for West Bromwich Albion midfielder Bryan Robson.

7 October 1981: Ian Rush scores his first domestic goals for Liverpool, finding the net twice in their second round first leg League Cup 5–0 win over Exeter City at Anfield.

[2] Luton Town's recent excellent form has taken them to the top of the Second Division, heading a promotion race in which Watford stand second and Sheffield Wednesday are third.

[8] 4 November 1981: Fourth Division side York City sack manager Barry Lyons, following a poor start to the season on top of last year's bottom-place finish, and replace him with Kevin Randall.

[12] 8 January 1982: John Barnwell resigns as manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers, whose fortunes have declined sharply in the two years since he took them to sixth place in the First Division and a League Cup victory.

23 January 1982: Third Division Oxford United cause the shock of the FA Cup fourth round with a 3–0 win away to Brighton & Hove Albion.

[2] Luton Town, Oldham Athletic and Watford head the Second Division promotion race, followed closely behind by Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers.

[12] 15 February 1982: Birmingham City sack manager Jim Smith, following a run of just one win since the beginning of October, which has left the club only a single place outside the relegation zone.

18 February 1982: Nine days after walking out on Aston Villa, Ron Saunders makes a surprise return to management with their local rivals Birmingham City.

[15] 1 March 1982: Jim Smith makes a swift return to management at Oxford United, who had been managerless since the departure of Ian Greaves the previous month.

6 March 1982: Shrewsbury Town's impressive FA Cup run comes to an end when they lose 5–2 to Second Division rivals Leicester City at Filbert Street in the sixth round.

[18] Fulham defender Dave Clement, who was capped five times by England and spent the first 14 years of his career at Queens Park Rangers, commits suicide.

[12] Tottenham's victory is marred by Leicester fans booing Argentine midfielder Ossie Ardiles amid hostility over the Falklands War.

[20] 7 April 1982: Liverpool achieve a vital 1–0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford to move two points ahead of Ipswich Town at the top of the First Division.

[23] 15 May 1982: Liverpool win the Football League championship for the 13th time after they beat Tottenham Hotspur 3–1 and Ipswich Town lose 3–1 at home to Nottingham Forest.

[2] 20 May 1982: Stoke City beat West Bromwich Albion 3–0 to survive at the expense of Leeds United, who are relegated after 18 successive seasons in the First Division.

[12] Tottenham's line-up does not include Argentinians Ricardo Villa and Ossie Ardiles, who have withdrawn from first-team action owing to the Falklands War.

[3] 5 July 1982: England are eliminated from the World Cup after only managing a goalless draw with host nation Spain in a match they needed to win.

By contrast, Villa had a disappointing defence of the league title and could only finish 11th, with manager Ron Saunders stepping down in February and being replaced by his assistant Tony Barton, who enjoyed instant success in his first managerial job by guiding Villa to glory in the European Cup, while Saunders made a quick return to management at local rivals Birmingham City, achieving First Division survival by a comfortable margin.

Leeds United, who had rarely challenged for honours since Don Revie left for the England job in 1974, ended their 18-year stay in the First Division with relegation.

Barnsley's success under Norman Hunter continued when they finished sixth, the closest they had come in decades to winning the First Division place that had eluded them since their formation in 1896.

Emlyn Hughes, the former England captain, enjoyed a promising start to his managerial career as his Rotherham United side emerged as unlikely contenders for a First Division place, before they finished seventh.

Bristol City, faced with closure as a result of huge debts, became the first English league club to suffer three successive relegations.

[26] 10 October 1981: Gary Stevens, 18-year-old full back, makes his debut for Everton in their 1–1 league draw with West Ham United at Upton Park.

[28] 5 December 1981: Stewart Robson, 17-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for Arsenal in their 2–1 league win over West Ham United at Upton Park.

[29] 24 April 1982: Norman Whiteside, 16-year-old Northern Irish forward, makes his debut for Manchester United in their 1–0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion at the Goldstone Ground 13 days before his 17th birthday.